I WAS shocked to read in the Warrington Guardian (November 5) that the UK Statistics Authority estimates that 22.5 per cent or around 11,000 jobs in Helen Jones’ Warrington North constituency pay less than the living wage.

The jobs include positions in the Labour controlled council in Mrs Jones’ constituency.

It would be interesting to see if Helen Jones could inform your readers how many of these jobs are part time, zero hours and are topped up by tax credits.

This Tory Government has claimed to have created conditions for an economy whereby a thousand jobs a day have been created since they took office in 2010.

The living wage is an hourly rate calculated according to the cost of living, which is to be paid enough to allow the purchase of basic necessities and to provide a basic standard of living and has been calculated independency from Government by the Living Wage Foundation.

I agree with Helen Jones that this Tory Government’s proposed living wage is just nothing but a gimmick.

But will she agree with me that the last New Labour Government, in setting up the minimum wage and the tax credits system as an incentive to work, is nothing but a costly bureaucratic system and has done nothing but to trap people in work poverty and ultimately has allowed businesses to profit from a low wage, low base economy funded by the tax payer.

TONY FOX
Stockton Heath

 

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